Wild Geese (song)
Wildgänse rauschen durch die Nacht is a war poem by Walter Flex. It was published in 1917 in his poem book Im Felde zwischen Nacht und Tag. The poem was also included in his 1916 novel Der Wanderer zwischen beiden Welten.
The lyrics achieved popularity through a musical adaptation written by Robert Götz. Götz's melody existed as early as 1916 but Wild Geese was widely sung by members of the Wandervogel movement / Bündische Jugend society during the late 1920s. It is also sung in the Austrian and German army.Creation
The date of creation of the lyrics are unknown. The inspiration for the poem is described in his memoirs The Wanderer Between Two Worlds:
The Wanderer Between Two Worlds achieved great popularity in Germany. After participating in the Lake Naroch Offensive Flex returned to Berlin to write a series of reports on the offensive, which was published posthumously in 1919 as Die russische Frühjahrsoffensive 1916. He died on October 17, 1917 from wounds sustained during Operation Albion.The poem
